From 12th – 18th November, it is UK Parliament Week. This year’s UK Parliament Week festival is the largest ever and will see more than 7,000 registered events with over 500,000 people taking part.
It’s the 100th anniversary this year of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave some women and all men the right to vote after World War One. UK Parliament Week is part of the UK Parliament’s ‘Vote 100’ programme, celebrating equal voting rights and other milestones in the UK’s democratic history like the Act. A record high of 208 female MPs were elected to the House of Commons in 2017’s General Election, showing our progress.
I am excited to urge you all to get involved in this year’s Parliament Week. To strive for a more equal society, we must all engage in democracy so please do find ways to get involved this year. Schools, workplaces, Scouts and Girlguides are all central organisations in the events but you can organise your own.
On the Parliament Week website — www.ukparliamentweek.org/blog/what-event-could-you-hold-for-parliament-week/ — there are suggestions of how you can get involved in this celebration of our democracy. On the same website, there is a page on which you can register your participation. By signing up, you get a free kit! When you get your kit or begin your event, use #UKPW2018 on Twitter to share it with everyone.
Barry Sheerman 